This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 2002-177171 filed in JAPAN on Jun. 18, 2002, which is(are) herein incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle partition which can easily be broken to dampen shocks applied upon a collision of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, greater importance has been put on providing protection for passengers in a vehicle. For example, in times of a vehicle collision, airbags for preventing passengers from hitting the front console or steering wheel are widely used.
Parts of the front console not protected by airbags, or front consoles in vehicles not equipped with airbags, are required to have a structure that will not give an impact to the passengers even if they hit the front console. Specifically, a device disposed in a front console should have low mechanical strength so that it will break upon a collision to absorb shocks which would otherwise be transmitted through the device.
Normally, a radio unit (or a car navigation system or the like) is installed approximately centrally in the front console and a vehicle air-conditioning system is positioned behind the radio unit. It is difficult to reduce the mechanical strength of the radio unit, so that the radio unit can easily be broken upon impact, and the radio unit may be replaced with another device by the user. In order for the radio unit not to apply shocks to the passenger when the passenger hits the radio unit, the vehicle air-conditioning system positioned behind the radio unit needs to have an easily breakable partition. When the passenger hits the radio unit, the impact is transmitted via the radio unit to the air-conditioning system, breaking the partition thereof to reduce the shock applied to the passenger.
It has been proposed to make the partition of a vehicle air-conditioning system easily breakable in a region which may hit the radio unit upon a vehicle collision, by forming a thin-walled groove near the region of the partition (see Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-58951, for example). According to the proposed structure, a concentric groove is formed around the region of the partition that is expected to be hit by the radio unit, and the partition is broken along the groove when the vehicle collides. As a result, the partition operates as a shock absorbing member to reduce the shock which may be applied to the passenger.
If the groove formed around the region of the partition that is expected to be hit by the radio unit is deep, the partition can be broken easily therefore reducing the shock which may be applied to the passenger. However, the deep groove makes the casing of the air-conditioning system low in mechanical strength. Since the partition of the vehicle air-conditioning system should preferably be mechanically strong enough for vibration resistance, the partition is required to have a strength enough to withstand vibrations while the vehicle is running, and a weakness enough to break upon a vehicle collision.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a partition in vehicles, which is strong enough to withstand vibrations while the vehicle is running, but easily breakable upon a vehicle collision to absorb shocks which may be applied to the passenger.
A major object of the present invention is to provide a partition in vehicles, which can reliably be broken to absorb shocks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a partition in vehicles, which can easily be manufactured.
According to the present invention, there is provided a partition for use in a vehicle, a collision surface for receiving shocks when a peripheral member impinges thereon and the backside of the collision surface being a space, a thin-walled region surrounding the collision surface, and a protrusion disposed on the collision surface in a region which can possibly be hit by the peripheral member.
When a vehicle collides with an obstacle and the peripheral member is displaced toward the partition, the peripheral member initially hits the protrusion. Stresses are concentrated on the protrusion, developing a crack in an area of the thin-wall region, which is close to the protrusion. Since the crack is developed under stress concentration, the thin-walled region does not need to be very thin. Once the crack is produced, it easily spreads along the thin-walled region, breaking the partition. The partition is sufficiently mechanically strong while the vehicle is running, but can easily be broken upon a vehicle collision for absorbing shocks. When a passenger of the vehicle hits the partition through the peripheral member, shocks applied to the passenger are absorbed or reduced by the broken partition.
The partition may further comprise a support contacting a side surface of the protrusion and the collision surface. The support is effective to prevent the protrusion from being broken, and, as a result, effective to cause the thin-walled region to crack easily.
The protrusion may have a tubular shape. The tubular protrusion has a relatively small wall thickness, and any thermal strains caused immediately after the protrusion has been molded of synthetic resin are minimized.
The thin-walled region may comprise a plurality of intersecting grooves. The grooves allow the thin-walled region to crack vertically and horizontally upon a vehicle collision, making the partition easily breakable.
The grooves may be deeper in an area close to the protrusion than in other areas. The deeper grooves are easier to crack when the vehicle collides.
If a plurality of protrusions is disposed on the collision surface, then the peripheral member can easily hit one of the protrusions even when the peripheral member is displaced obliquely toward the collision surface, so that the collision surface can easily be broken.
The peripheral member may be an engine, and the thin-walled region and the protrusion may be positioned near the engine.
The collision surface may be a wall having an air passage in a vehicle air-conditioning system. The vehicle air-conditioning system with the collision surface can absorb shocks from a vehicle collision.
The collision surface may have a seam and be divided by the seam into a pair of collision surfaces, each of the collision surfaces having the protrusion. Both the collision surfaces on the opposite sides of the seam can be broken.
The protrusion may have a greater height from the collision surface than the seam.
If the protrusion has a flat upper surface, then, when the peripheral member hits the flat upper surface, the peripheral member reliably presses the protrusion.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.